CAFC Sides With Oracle Again, Says Google Should Pay Damages

[Lucian Armasu]

The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) ruled on Oracle's appeal that Google's use of the Java APIs was not fair use because Google used them in a commercial setting. CAFC sent the case to a lower case to determine damages.

CAFC Sides With Oracle Again, Says Google Should Pay Damages : Read more

 

[bit_user]

This is truly an abuse of Copyright, and overturning many decades of legal precedent.

 

[WyomingKnott]

Abuse by Oracle, perhaps. The problem seems to me to be more one of ignorance, and the law being unable to keep up with modern intellectual property.
Reminds me. I have a friend who studied and practiced international intellectual property law because it was easier than what she had been doing.

 

[ehmkec]

Oracle will lose big in the long run. It is very difficult (but not impossible) for a proprietary tech platform to become universally accepted. IBM learned that all through the 90's. It is better to release the tech for free and take advantage of your current position as everyone grabs it - than to privatize your tech and find you are the only one who ultimately uses it. Besides - it's Oracle's history of greed (ask it's employees or California or legacy clients) that will bring it down. If you study the history of Java you will see how Sun/Oracle ruined it for everyone.

 

[bit_user]

Oracle will lose big in the long run. It is very difficult (but not impossible) for a proprietary tech platform to become universally accepted.

I don't pretend to know much about Oracle, but I think this is a case where they're clearly following the patent troll playbook.

Some even say the main reason Larry Ellison bought Sun was so he could sue Google over their use of Java.

 

[bit_user]

The problem seems to me to be more one of ignorance, and the law being unable to keep up with modern intellectual property.

APIs have been around for like 50 years, which is longer than most judges have been practicing law. Also, Copyright law is very well established and there's a lot of legal precedent that says you can't copyright an API.

It feels like there's something funny going on, here. I can't say exactly what, but this is one of those cases that could seriously threaten the technological leadership of the US, if it's allowed to stand.

 

[Ilya__]

Oracle will lose big in the long run. It is very difficult (but not impossible) for a proprietary tech platform to become universally accepted. IBM learned that all through the 90's. It is better to release the tech for free and take advantage of your current position as everyone grabs it - than to privatize your tech and find you are the only one who ultimately uses it. Besides - it's Oracle's history of greed (ask it's employees or California or legacy clients) that will bring it down. If you study the history of Java you will see how Sun/Oracle ruined it for everyone.

Agree completely. Java could have been so much more.

 

[bit_user]

Agree completely. Java could have been so much more.

I'm not convinced Oracle really cares about Java. Of course, it's now about the only thing left of Sun.